Signs of saltwater use

Rebbe

New Member
Jan 20, 2018
19
Boat Info
1998 310 Sundance
Alpha 5.7/250hp
Engines
5.7 alpha 250hp
I’m from the Great Lakes area so I’m not familiar with saltwater boats. I’m looking at a boat that’s from Texas (lake Travis). It’s a freshwater boat but I still want to look for signs of saltwater use. Its here in Michigan for the last 2 years. I have a survey guy that will be evaluating it next week but figured I would educate myself a little and ask what I should check out to tell me if it’s been used in saltwater. The risers look factory with no rust. It has 500 hours and it a 360 with 8.1s
 
When i bought my 330 I looked at quite a few boats around southern ontario. One 340 I looked at was very different than the other boats. There was much more evidence of corrosion here and there. The bolts under the swim platform had rust staining around them and on the glass. In the bilge there was much more light corrosion and rust on many parts. It was pretty obvious it spend time in the ocean. If you have a hard time telling the difference, then I would not worry about it. Just check the manifolds and risers.
 
Saltwater boats have bits of rust everywhere. It will be obvious. even on very well maintained boats, there will be light staining all over, some blistered paint, rust stains near stainless steel parts, etc. You will be able to tell if it spent extended time in saltwater.
 
I’m from the Great Lakes area so I’m not familiar with saltwater boats. I’m looking at a boat that’s from Texas (lake Travis). It’s a freshwater boat but I still want to look for signs of saltwater use. Its here in Michigan for the last 2 years. I have a survey guy that will be evaluating it next week but figured I would educate myself a little and ask what I should check out to tell me if it’s been used in saltwater. The risers look factory with no rust. It has 500 hours and it a 360 with 8.1s


I have a '03 360DA that has spent it's entire life in the ocean or lower Chesapeake Bay. !00% saltwater. Here's what I notice: The boat was built in their "yacht facility" in Florida (Merritt Island) and many of the parts are actually upgraded from the 340s and smaller. (Polished stainless vs Anodized, etc). They seem to be designed to last. But that being said there are telltale signs of saltwater use. The bolts (or possibly the washers) that hold the swim platform on have a faint weeping of corrosion. The transmissions have a haze on the black paint as opposed to the shiny black of the engines. Also look at the hose clamps, the tend to pick up some corrosion as well. Look at the motor mounts as they are NOT stainless and may show some corrosion.

But as others have said, if you have a hard time telling if it has been in saltwater or not, you probably don't need to worry about it.
 
The main thing in the bilge that pops out as rusty is the electric panel on the generator. But it’s inline with the serpentine belt which could of been slinging water on it at one time.
 
yes it will be surveyed and also have a mechanical inspection Monday.
 
It won't have any telltale signs from the Lake Travis time.
I boated there for 7 years and it's one of the cleanest lakes I've been to. Until the last 2 years when zebra mussels have started their invasion
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,948
Messages
1,422,806
Members
60,930
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top